Ambulance pressures to ease with new test centre in Tralee
OVER 30 requests for Covid-19 testing are being fielded at any given time by an ambulance service struggling to maintain its operations.
Frontline responders here fear the worst for the service’s ability to cover its normal operations while contending with testing and bringing Covid-19 patients to hospital.
However, this may ease with the opening of Kerry’s first test centre in the Mitchels area of Tralee this week.
This is one of 19 centres to open around the country to test for Covid-19. Approximately 30 tests were carried out on Monday alone in the Kerry test centre. Figures from the HSE show 140 tests were carried out in the four new centres in Cork and Kerry. Since Monday, GP’s can refer patients for tests and Kerry GP’s have been inundated with calls and are sending the most serious cases for testing. The Kerry centre is referral only and the HSE has warned people not to turn up for testing.
The HSE will not confirm how many cases in Kerry there are but, at a conservative estimate at time of print, there were at least three cases of the virus identified here.
Meanwhile, the ambulance service is hopeful the new centre will alleviate pressure on them. The county’s only ‘spare’ ambulance was even in use last week for testing, as the service was tasked with the onerous responsibility. But just one extra jeep has been made available to the service in Kerry, at a time when up to three ambulance shifts a week are already being dropped due to staff burn-out.
The brave paramedics are the frontline of our fight against Covid-19 but to date have not even been issued with gear deemed to offer full protection from the virus. Many have bought their own suits, but some are still depending on the apron-style standard issue which leaves the hair and feet exposed from the knees down –leading to deep anxiety about their health and that of their loved ones as they return home after each shift.
Meanwhile, the Kerry Fire Service has been provided with state-of-the-art protective suits by the Council – to help them assist the ambulance in certain cases where required.
Gardaí are also waiting to receive some of the new fleet of rental vehicles. A senior garda source told The Kerryman they will principally be used to help get medicines to vulnerable elderly around the county. Seven of the recruits passing out before their time at Templemore are bound for Tralee to shore up policing duties there.
Top brass has also re-jigged the rostering and garda deployment to ensure greater safety for its members at a time of mounting health fears.
The five-unit roster is down to a four-unit one to avoid ‘crossover’ between shifts in stations, limiting garda interaction. And gardaí are now being deployed across the entire rural station network - in fear of a confirmed case that would force self-isolation on big numbers at any one time.